With news coming out that there’s an NWA biopic going into production, you have to wonder if Hollywood learned nothing from the thoroughly unmemorable rap biopic Notorious.
The starring actor in Notorious, Jamal Woolard, did a spot-on impersonation of Christopher “Biggie” Wallace, but he had the on-screen charisma of a jar of mayonnaise.
The film benefited from the blessing of Wallace’s family and Puffy’s record label, meaning it could use original music – a vital ingredient to any music biopic – but they’re involvement proved detriment.
As L.A. Weekly’s Gustavo Turner astutely points out on his post about the NWA project, having the depicted artists or families involved is both a blessing and a curse mostly the former.
In the case of Notorious, Sean Combs made sure his image of a take-no-shit hustler record mogul who single-handedly boosted Biggie’s rocket was well maintained in all his scenes. The producer’s credit for Wallace’s mother, Voletta, ensured Biggie was never portrayed in an unflattering light, such as glossing over his many infidelities and drug-dealing.
Which brings us back to the predictably-titled Straight Outta Compton, and who will likely interfere in making this a watchable film.
First on the list, obviously, is Ice Cube who’s become a considerably big Hollywood money-maker over the years.
Cube and his partner Matt Alvarez will produce the film under their Cube Vision brand, along with a producer credit going to Eazy-E’s widow Tomica Woods.
A screenwriter named Andrea Berloff has been tapped to write the tale of this seminal rap group. However, Berloff’s single writing credit is the very poorly-received World Trade Center, and (sorry to be stereotypical here) take one look at her and you have to wonder if she’s ever heard a single NWA song in her life. This hiring is a serious head-scratcher.
Having OGs like Ice Cube involved will lend the film credibility and – perhaps most importantly – original source music.
The NWA story is packed with backstabbing, jealously, manager issues, royalty disputes, personnel shifts, rampant misogyny, charges of promoting anti-Semitism and violence. Not to mention Eazy-E’s philandering and ultimate death from AIDS.
But again, how much of the real story will we get with Cube and Eazy-E’s family overseeing the project?
Turner makes a good point in using the recent The Runaways biopic as an example of where a compelling story, with human flaws, mistakes, bad decisions and misguided egos, is often sacrificed because of the artist’s involved. Joan Jett, who was a producer on the film, came away looking like Joan of Arc. Ditto for Notorious and even Johnny Cash came off looking a bit too saintly in Walk the Line.
Despite its cringe-worthy scenes of mystical shamanism I would argue Oliver Stone’s The Doors is a well-done example of this medium. This is because you have a skilled director with a singular vision, unimpeded by the subject’s involvement, and who wasn’t out to message egos of those being depicted in the film.
Is it any wonder all the surviving Doors members were unhappy with the final product?[rssbreak]
